Contradicting forecasts: Neither inclusion nor decentralization is worthy! Candidates' selection in political parties in Argentina

Studying parties as organizations, "enlighten inside" is an unfinished challen ge in Latin America. It is pretended to contribute analysing candidate selection procedures in Argentina, a case which demonstrates that are not organizational decentralization neither more inclusion in selectorates the reasons for more competitive candidate selection procedures. We present two hypotheses: thinking democratization of candidate selection as inclusiveness is not enough, it is compulsory to consider the competition dimension; and decentralization implies more competitive parties only if their internal organization does not correspond directly to a formal territorial distribution of power and if they are institutionalized according to democratic principles. Both will be tested regarding lists conformation for 2011 elections, analysing differences in parties' actions and strategies in different districts depending on charges contested and levels of government; and this will be compared to the one made the previous election.